Blossom Beach: Perfectly Wrong

Chapter 33

Hailey

I put on my favorite pale-purple dress and a thin line of black eyeliner along with some mascara and nude lipstick. I admire myself in the mirror for a couple of seconds and smile. Jax walks towards me, an appreciative expression on his face. He zips up my dress and pulls my hair off my shoulder so he can place soft kisses on it. I lean my head against his shoulder and let the tingling spread over my whole body.

"You look breathtaking," he tells me with a smug smile. I turn around in his arms and press a firm kiss on his lips. He is a lot taller than me but my heels make it easier for me to reach his perfect lips. Jaxon Hickley is too perfectly wrong for me in so many ways.

"I love you," I say and his returning smile is all I ever needed.

"I love you," he replies and kisses the tip of my nose. The gesture is so sweet, my heart beats unevenly for a few moments.

Jax and I drive to the restaurant, like Hunter and I planned, and get out of the car. We took my car because I want Jax to enjoy himself and drink as much as he wants tonight. I want him to feel free of his responsibilities for once. We walk through the door and everyone inside screams "Surprise!". Jax's eyes go wide and then a huge grin breaks out across his face.

"Happy Birthday, buddy," Ryder says and gives Jax a hug. About twenty people follow Ryder, and I take a step back, letting them all get a second with Jax. I go over to one of the tables and grab a glass of water.

"You again." Adrianna's familiar voice startles me, causing me to almost drop my water. "God, he can't even take his eyes off of you for two minutes, can he? You must be really good in bed." Her spitefulness isn't hard to miss. She is dripping with it. I'm sure she leaves a trail of it wherever she goes. When I look into her eyes, I can see how drunk she is. Adrianna can't even stand properly, let alone talk without a slur.

"With all due respect ma'am, my ability to fuck is none of your business. I care a lot about your son and there is nothing, not even a dispiteous mother, that can make me stop feeling this way about Jax." Anger fills her eyes.

"How dare you call me that?" She points her index finger at me and rolls her eyes.

"How dare you speak to me the way you do, ma'am?" Her mouth falls open, and I take a step backward, away from her. "If you show me respect, I will start showing you the same. That's how it works with me. I tried being nice to you but, apparently, it doesn't work. I wanted you to like me, and it seems there is nothing I can do to change your mind about me. So, I am asking you nicely to just leave me alone. Please." Jax's arm wraps around my waist, and I'm relieved to have him next to me. Although I do feel bad about being disrespectful to his mom, I tried being nice and it got me nowhere with Adrianna.

"Are you just going to let her speak to me like that?" Adrianna turns completely red in the face and Jax shrugs.

"I heard the whole conversation. Hailey didn't say anything impolite. Now, if you could please get your drunk ass out of here, I would really appreciate it. I have given you more than enough chances and you have let me down enough. Leave before my guests realize what is going on and we cause a scene. I'll drop Lily and Jace off later." Panic washes over me, and I look at Jax, but he's completely focused on Adrianna. She puts down her drink and storms out the door.

"No, this is my fault. She shouldn't leave because of me. I'm sorry-" I try to say but Jax cuts me off and puts his finger under my chin.

"What are you talking about, darling? This wasn't your fault. My mom has a drinking problem and I have tried to help her but she doesn't want help. You haven't done anything wrong." He pulls me into his arms and the familiar feeling of safety washes over me. He presses a quick kiss to my lips before taking me by the hand and leading us to where Owen, Ryder, and Hunter are standing.

"Thank you for keeping him busy the whole day," Hunter says, and I blush. My mind drifts to how exactly I kept him busy and the ridiculous smile that spreads over my face is unstoppable.

"It was my pleasure," I reply, and Jax clears his throat to keep from laughing. Owen and Ryder give my boyfriend a knowing, proud look and I grin even wider.

Slower music drones out of the speakers. I sway along to it, enjoying the calm after the storm. Jax leans down so his mouth is directly next to my ear. I shiver as his warm breath tickles the sensitive skin behind it.

"Would you like to dance with me?" he asks, and I nod.

Jax leads me to the dance floor and swings me around. I love dancing with him because we just work very well together. Every move we make, we do so in perfect harmony. He spins me around a few times as his feet find a rhythm with mine. I place my hands on each of his shoulders, and his chest presses against mine.

"I don't think I will ever get tired of dancing with you," I admit to him and grin. I run my hands over his muscular arms, feeling him flex under me. His dark blue dress shirt really doesn't make it difficult to feel his hard body.

The rest of the evening goes by faster than I expected. Many people show up and bring lots of presents. Jax even introduces me to his secretary, Alexa. He told me about her a while ago but he didn't tell me she is this beautiful. After a while, I decide to go outside for some fresh air, needing to take a deep breath. I step into the cool, evening breeze. The quietest sob interrupts my peaceful moment, and I move in the direction of it to find Adrianna sitting on the sidewalk. Her head is in her hands, and I see her shaking. She seems cold.

Going against my better judgment, I walk towards, slowly removing my scarf. I wrap it around her, hoping it will warm. She removes her hands from her face, and I see the tears stream down. I sit down next to her, her eyes never leaving me. Adrianna is confused and surprised by my kindness. I can't even blame her since I'm not quite sure why I'm being nice to someone like her. She is Jax's mom, which is the only reason why I'm sitting next to her on the cold pavement, hoping I can find a way to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry you feel so sad." The shock on her face becomes even more evident. "I know losing your husband must have been hard. I get it. I lost someone, too." I stop and take a deep breath before I continue. "My best friend, well, she was more like a sister to me." She is watching me as closely as I am her. I'm telling her something I only told one other person ever. But I'm okay. Jax has given me so much strength over the past few months, a strength that makes me feel like there is nothing I can't do. "I loved her more than I loved anyone. And then I watched her getting murdered right in front of me." Adrianna's eyes fill with something I can only identify as regret and maybe even guilt. "I get it. Losing someone who means the world to you, I mean. But it doesn't give you the right to treat the people around you like shit." She nods and shifts her gaze away from me. "I do my best to be even kinder to people now because Jessie isn't here anymore to spread her love. She had so much of it, and I don't want it to be lost."

"You're right." More tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Hailey, for everything. You are such a sweet girl, and I am sorry I have treated you so badly. You don't deserve it. I don't know what's wrong with me." Her head falls into her hands again, and I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Let me help you," I offer, and she looks at me, yet again confused.

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Because I'm stupidly in love with your son, and I hate to see him suffer because trust me, he suffers from this distance between you two. Please, let me help you." I get up and reach out to take her hand. "Let's get you cleaned up so you can go apologize to Jax." She nods, and I lead her to the restroom. I'm glad she's letting me help her.